The Dark Question
by Backward Mind
Summary: It wasn't possible. Jumps so far back in time were considered fantasy, impossible, merely a dream. Only one person had ever managed it- even without a Time Turner. Now, apart from his teaching duties, Harry Potter only has to worry about a couple of rouge students (also called the Marauders), Voldemort, and being suspected of being a Death Eater. Easy life, isn't it?
1. From Confusion to Elation

**The Change in the Plot**

**Disclaimer****: I have never owned Harry Potter and most likely never will. Harry Potter belongs solely to JK Rowling, and not me.**

**Author's Note****: I know that this is not the most original topic, but I like writing it all the same. Happy Reading!**

Harry James Potter was having an extraordinarily odd dream. It had involved him lying face down in front of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For some unexplainable reason, he sensed that it was August twenty first, nineteen seventy seven. Harry experienced the feeling of flight for a brief while, and then everything went green and slowly faded to black.

Consciousness had slowly come to Harry, blunting his senses as he slowly struggled to awaken. The sheer smell of magic mixed with grass and fresh air hit him as soon as his nose woke up. The smell was confusing. Harry had lived in a flat in Muggle London for about half a year, ever since he had graduated from Hogwarts. It had smelled like gas, pollution, and exhaust, but _certainly _not magic. It was, for lack of a better word, impossible.

Very few places smelled so strongly of magic. Harry ran a mental list through is befuddled mind. The Ministry of Magic, where he worked as an Auror, had a magical aroma. Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade also smelled of magic. And Hogwarts….._Hogwarts_…..Hogwarts had the smell of grass, clean air, and strong, blossoming magic. Confusion and doubt rose inside him. It was just not possible. He was still dreaming. But since when had dreams seemed _so_ real?

Raising his head off the floor, Harry saw a magnificently beautiful pair of oaken doors, and a hauntingly familiar castle. Shock took over as he struggled to his feet. One minute he was sleeping in his bed in London, and now he was off somewhere in Scotland? Was this even possible with magic?

Harry barley had any time to think things over when the doors opened and Professor Albus Dumbledore stepped out.

"Excuse me, young man, but may I inquire as to why you are standing in front of my school?" Dumbledore was calm as always.

Being the reckless Gryffindor he was, Harry said the first thing that entered his mind. "Good morning, Professor, I am here to inquire about the Defence Against the Dark Arts post?"

Hearing that, Dumbledore broke out in a grin. "Well, why didn't you say so earlier? Come on in!" He had seemed genuinely happy to hear that found a teacher, and for Defence, no less.

Harry smiled gratefully, relived that his cover story had worked. Now he had only one thing to worry about. He had no idea how to teach. As he wandered the familiar halls, he couldn't help noticing differences. Hogwarts was still the same old place, but the Fat Lady was in the third-floor corridor, and not guarding the Gryffindor common room. Harry vaguely remembered Percy Weasley telling him that the portrait was 'new'. He hadn't thought much about it back then in his ecstasy in being away from the Durselys and being in a new, magical world, but Harry now wondered what had happened to the old one. He had to remember to ask Percy.

With a pang, he realised that Ron and Hermione's wedding was two weeks away. How would he attend if he was off teaching? Harry supposed he would have to ask for a two-day holiday. And Ginny. She didn't know he was gone. What would she do? Harry was her boyfriend, her confidant, her soul mate. Most likely she would cry. Then she would take out her anger on Harry, once she saw him again. He shuddered inwardly at the very thought.

"We're here!" The sudden sound startled Harry. He had been too absorbed in his thoughts to chat, and hadn't been really thinking about where he was going. Probably just following mental routes or Dumbledore. Flinching, he turned to look at the mighty Headmaster of Hogwarts. His eyes were twinkling merrily, a slight grin on his slightly younger face. "Got you, didn't I?" "Yes, sir." Harry answered honestly. Dumbledore chuckled.

"You're not the only one who gets carried away with his thoughts."

"Glad to know, sir." Harry smiled.

"None of that sir stuff, now," said Dumbledore. "You're looking for a job, not looking for a scholarship, call me Albus."

"Yes, s-Albus."

"Alright. Let's get down to business." Albus led the way up the revolving staircase.

"Sherbet lemon?" Dumbledore looked slightly hopeful, but Harry knew better than to accept Albus' odd Muggle candies. He quickly shook his head no, smiling all the while. For a millisecond, Albus' smile dimmed, but it quickly rebounded to its former radiance. "Now, for your name. You know my name and I do not know yours! That's hardly fair, now is it?" Harry noticed that Dumbledore seemed to have the same cheerful voice when he spoke. "My name?" Harry asked. "Yes, your name," replied Albus, his voice becoming slightly suspicious. Harry chose to answer quickly. He didn't want to give his real name, because he had a slight suspicion that it was nineteen seventy seven, and not nineteen ninety eight. "Harry Paulsen", he quickly answered.

Albus whipped out a sheet of parchment out of his desk drawer and wrote the date and Harry's 'name' along the top.

_August Twenty-first, Nineteen seventy-seven Harry Paulsen_

Harry snuck a look at the piece of parchment and immediately felt faint. His ridiculous suspicion had been correct. He _had_ been whisked back twenty-one years. But how? Why? Dumbledore's next question brought him back to reality.

"Where did you attend school? I don't remember a Harry Paulsen at Hogwarts, and you don't look like you graduated long ago."

"Correct on both counts." Harry was surprised at how quiet he was. "I am eighteen, and have just graduated from the Salem Academy of Magical Arts. The school isn't very well known, and is in America even though I _am _British. I have seven OWL equivalents, and five NEWT equivalents."

"Very Good!" Dumbledore beamed at Harry. "Now what about your age? You seem awfully young to be a teacher."

"I assure you, Albus, that I have plenty of experience nonetheless."

"I believe you."

The rest of the questioning passed relatively quickly. "I believe that you are an honest man, here to make an honest living," said Dumbledore. "But if I hear otherwise, or see otherwise, you will be sent to Azkaban before one can say 'Slinky'. We here at Hogwarts are especially wary about death eaters. I hope you are who you say you are. Now why don't you hop over to the staff room and get acquainted with the staff?" Harry stared at Dumbledore in awe. "You mean I got the job?" A slow grin spread across his face. "Congratulations, Professor Paulsen, you've got the job. I trust that you will be a _wonderful _professor."

Harry stared at the old man like a fool would.

All reviews are appreciated! Yes, even flames. Thank you all for reading! There will be more coming soon!


	2. Only the Beginning

**The Dark Question****-Chapter Two: The Beginning**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the Harry Potter series. All Harry Potter trademarks belong to Warner Bros. and Ms. Jo Kathleen Rowling.**

**Author's Note****: I am extremely sorry for the delay, but I have been suffering from a huge case of writer's block. If you guys have any ideas, don't hesitate to leave a review or PM me.**

_September first, 1977_

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Professor Harry 'Paulsen' had nothing to do except for to sit back, wait, and fiddle with his collar while awaiting the arrival of the students. He leaned back in his seat and surveyed his surroundings. Most of the Hogwarts professors had not arrived in the Great Hall yet, but they were trickling in every few minutes. The Hall itself seemed vast, more enormous than Harry had ever remembered. It was perhaps because of the lack of bodies occupying the room. Only about four lonely staff members were currently sitting at the staff table, looking out to the four enormous but empty house tables. Half an hour later, Harry's mind was still on the awesome size the Hall when the doors at the end of the Hall burst open and a pack of students surged through. He nearly fainted when he glimpsed at the two boys who were leading the pack. His teenaged father and godfather were talking animatedly as they slid into seats at the Gryffindor table.

Harry had been warned about a couple of troublemakers, but had not dwelled on the subject. His mind was far too busy to think about a few rule-breakers when there were lesson plans to be written out and books to assign. But he now realised that he would not be dealing with just a normal, run of the mill classroom criminal, but the mighty Marauders. They were sure to wreak havoc on well… just everything. And…this meant he was supposed to be teaching his teenaged parents? This was just barmy. A joke. A joke so funny it was starting to make him sick.

While waiting for the feast to begin, Harry's head started to hurt. It might have been because of a combination of hunger and the dull nature of the sorting this year. The first years of nineteen seventy seven were a highly interesting lot, but Harry wasn't very into the sorting.

As Dumbledore stood up to make his famous start of term speech, a sudden hush fell over the crowd.

"Now, I know that your stomachs are rumbling away, so this little speech shouldn't take long. First, let me introduce to you two new members of our staff, Professor Paulsen, who will be filling in the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. We are very grateful to have him here, considering the tragic…accident that befell Professor Greene last term. I am also pleased to introduce Mr. Filch, who will be your new caretaker. Our previous caretaker, Mr. Pringle, has chosen retirement this year, and we all know he deserves a well- earned break." Dumbledore smiled at the crowd, eyeing James Potter and Sirius Black.

"Now, I hope you enjoy our delicious feast and have a safe and happy term."

As Dumbledore finished his speech, large platters of food appeared on the House tables. Everyone dug in.

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_**September 2**__**nd**__**, 1977**_

The sun was blinding. Harry pulled the covers over his head and rolled to one side. He groaned and got up reluctantly. As he walked to the bathroom, a wave of nervousness overcame him as he remembered that he would be teaching his first class of the day, his first class _ever_ in just one hour's time. Harry took a deep breath and attempted to overcome his anxiety. The Great Hall was waiting for his presence, and he was most likely in danger of being late. He sighed and wondered why he had signed on for the job when he knew that Dumbledore could have helped him back to his own time. Only a Gryffindor could possess such recklessness, he thought fondly.

Twenty minutes later, Harry was flying down the corridors, hoping, desperately wishing, that there was at least a morsel of food left for him. As he burst through the doors to the Great hall with a deafening BANG, causing all the students and quite a few teachers to stop in mid-sentence or mid-bite to look up. Several of the first years whimpered or uttered a soft scream, and with good cause, too. Harry looked quite eerie silhouetted against the door frame, shadows concealing most of his body. Startled, he jumped out of the shadows, nearly drowning in his own embarrassment. Walking stiffly up to the staff table, Harry hardly heard anything.

Suddenly, there was a swift bark of laughter and a shout of, "Blimey, professor, splendid prank! You really got me!"

Harry whirled around, and his eyes fell on James Potter.

His voice was cold as he said, "It wasn't a prank."

"Sure seemed like one, sir. As I said, you got me good."

Ignoring the rather gibing comment, Harry continued his march to the staff table. As he slid into his seat, he sighed. And to think that this is only the beginning, he thought.

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**I know that this is probably one of my worst chapters, but I really wanted to get something to all you readers. Feel free to flame me or drop a review or an idea. Giving me ideas or criticism will really help me do a better job next time and hopefully help with the writer's block. Anyways, if you've got any ideas about the story, or about what happens in it. You never know, your idea just might be used. All ideas, flames, or just reviews are appreciated. Favorites and follows are greatly appreciated, too. Sorry again for the delay, and thanks for reading.**


	3. My Apologies and a Desperate Plea

Dear Readers,

I know that I have not updated in quite a while. You have been very loyal to this story, and I very much wish that I had a chapter here for you. But I, as you can see here, do not. There will be no excuses, just a simple (and very sorry) statement. You see here, I am suffering from a massive case of writer's block. I plainly just do not have any ideas. For anything.

To all that are passing this letter off as an excuse from a lazy and undedicated writer, wait. I feel your pain, having waited for many fanfictions to update. It's the worst feeling.

So, anyways, I really need some ideas and such. I am not withholding a chapter for you, nor am I too lazy to write anything more than this sorry letter. I need your ideas, opinions, or anything that will help me write the next couple of chapters. Please. I am desperate, and you, my ever loyal readers can provide me with the ideas I need. Just PM me or review. (This is not a scam to gain reviews.) You needn't write much, just an idea. Really. Thanks.

I apologise for my horrid behaviour and hope never to update this late again. I also am grateful for your reviews, favorites, and follows. I hope you will answer to my plea and give me my much needed inspiration. I know you are out there, and I hope, I mean I _know_ that I can count on you.

Thanks,

Backward Mind


	4. A Pretty Decent Lesson

**Chapter Three- A Pretty Decent Lesson**

**I still do not own Harry Potter, no matter how much I claim otherwise.**

_**Special thanks to all those who have given me ideas for this delayed chapter. I will do my best to speed up my updates. **_

_**I would also like to thank the lovely Guest who apparently has something against Harry and Ginny's relationship in this fanfiction. You have caused my sister and I quite a laugh. **_

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Much to the relief of Harry, breakfast was soon over and passed rather uneventfully. For some reason or another, he was pushed back by the horde of students and staff and was the last to exit the Great Hall. Much to his dismay, he found that the doors to the great hall were shut again. Was the castle plotting against him? Surely not. Harry pushed open the large doors just to have them emit a loud 'BANG' as soon as he touched the handle. He frowned at the set of doors. Were they playing a trick on him?

Harry punched the seemingly innocent- looking set of doors, venting his anger and embarrassment on them. _What _was he doing that annoyed them? Seething, he turned on his heel and walked away just to be confronted by probably all the people in the school. The crowd was looking curiously at him, wondering why in the world he had punched those doors and why there was that loud banging again. Flustered, Harry gave a quick shrug and hurried down the corridor, dodging students without any apologies. He thought he had seen Albus Dumbledore's eyes sparkle at him, but he couldn't be sure, he was speeding by too quickly.

As Harry turned the corner, he was forced to stop short. In front of him were a very smug looking James Potter and his smirking friends.

"Great Prank!" the delighted teenage boy exclaimed.

Was this going to happen all over again? Harry sighed and gritted his teeth.

"Potter, this is getting old. There is no humour in this situation. Got it?" Harry was fuming at this point. Was his father really this arrogant? Seventh year was supposed to be the year that his father had deflated his head!

"You know what, Professor?" James was wearing a look of utter confusion on his face. "How do you know my name?"

Harry winced at his carelessness. How could he have forgotten that he _did not know his father_ in this time period?! He'd have to cover his mistake.

"Well, I heard this girl call you that the other night", he lied.

Harry was of course, referring to Lily Evans, but that was unnecessary information.

James went a slight shade of pink and muttered something before turning and walking down the quickly emptying corridor. Sirius, Remus and Peter followed suit.

As Harry walked toward his classroom, he thought about what a close shave that had been. If Lily hadn't spoken to James last night, who knew what kind of nightmare situation he could've been in now. Harry shivered at the thought and quickened his pace.

When he got to his classroom door, he found a clump of first years waiting expectantly. Harry muttered a hasty sorry and ushered them into the room. The classroom was not big, but it was not small either. It was an airy middle-sized room, perfect for practising curses and jinxes, which was exactly what Harry wanted to teach this lot of first years.

"Sit down." The phrase was an order, and the first years shuffled obediently into seats.

"Hello. I am Professor Paulsen." Harry recited this bit smoothly to his class, making sure as to not make any mistakes. "This class can be dangerous. It is not fun and games. You may get hit by a spell, or perhaps you may be affected by a magical creature that appears harmless. This class is not one big laugh. I hope you understand that." As soon as Harry finished his rather frightening speech, he glared at his class with a fierceness that only teachers possessed.

"Are we clear on that?"

The class nervously muttered their assent.

"Good." Harry suddenly smiled. "You will be working on some basic dueling skills this year, combined with looking at some pixies. We will also skim over vampires, werewolves, boggarts, and something I really need you to be mature with: dementors. I hope you'll find that informative, if not enjoyable."

The class was paying full attention now. All twenty nine of the pupils in that room were captivated by the overview of the curriculum and were interested in, and somewhat feared, dark creatures.

Harry broke their silence with a slight clap of his hands and the next announcement.

"In fact, why don't we start with a simple _Expelliarmus _right now?"

"Who can tell me what _Expelliarmus _does?"

A couple of hands went up, and Harry surveyed the room, and his eyes fell on a tiny boy in the back row. The young child had long black hair and glimmering dark blue eyes.

"You, you back there. What is your name?"

The boy's voice was no more than a whisper. "Spyros. Spyros Gelesis."

"Well, Spyros. Can you answer our question?"

"Well, _Expelliarmus_ is the disarming spell. It erm…..disarms your opponent in a duel."

"Correct. Take five points for Slytherin. _Expelliarmus_, the disarming spell, does rid your opponent of his or her weapon during a duel. Of course, this spell does not necessarily need to be used in a duel. It can be used in any situation, especially if you are facing the Dark Lord. Handy to disarm the Death Eaters if they're after you."

The crowd of students looked frightened at the mere mention of Lord Voldemort, so Harry decided not to pursue the topic. Instead, he decided to start working.

"Okay. Let's get started. I need all of you to get into pairs. Whoever's left over will be working with me."

The first years automatically sought out their best friends. A girl was left alone in the middle of the room. Harry looked at her and grinned.

"Alright. You'll be working with me. What is your name?"

"Alexa Bacich," the girl stated clearly.

Harry nodded and turned to address the class.

"Repeat after me. _Expelliarmus." _

The class repeated the word.

"Good." Harry nodded his approval, and continued. "When you preform the actual spell, you must jab your wand forward once. Will everyone practise the wand movement?"

The pupils did so, and Harry smiled at them.

"Now, Alexa and I are going to provide you with an example. Now, Alexa, if you would hold your wand out?"

Alexa complied, and Harry took his own wand out from his pocket.

"Expelliarmus!" He roared, and Alexa's wand came flying out of her hand.

"There. That's how. Now you'll take turns getting disarmed and performing the actual spell with your partner. I do not expect you to perform the spell successfully on your first try, so don't be disappointed if you don't succeed at first. Begin."

The group of children began working, and Harry practised a few times with Alexa, who was doing decently, before surveying his students. They were doing well, and seemed to genuinely enjoy his class.

Maybe teaching wasn't so hard.

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**I hoped you liked this chapter! I must give a huge thank you to all the people who dropped ideas and waited patiently for this delayed chapter. Most of all, I thank the special Guest who gave me a colossal list full of ideas. Therefore, this chapter is dedicated to you, Guest. Please leave reviews! Tell me what you think, and PLEASE leave more ideas! I'm nearly out! I love hearing from you guys. Thanks for reading and waiting ****and**** reviewing!**

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**If you are interested in any Snape/OC fanfictions, be sure to check out ****snapelovesme****'s **_**With My Life.**_** I'm sure that you'll love it. **


	5. Exasperation

**Chapter 4: Exasperation**

**A/N: Alright. Here you go. Don't forget to review! Reviews tell me what you like and do not like, and help me create a more likeable fanfiction for all of you readers. So, really, for you, you should attempt to review. Besides, I would really like to know what you think. I think that this is the quickest I have ever updated! Hope you enjoy!**

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Fueled by his success with his first year class, Harry eagerly attacked his other classes, determined to educate them to the best of his ability. The results of each of his classes seemed to only boost his morale. By the time he had finished teaching the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw seventh years, he was determined that even the Gryffindor and Slytherin seventh years, a fiercely warring group, would be fairly easy.

It was a lovely Wednesday. Warm, sunny, full of success for Harry the Professor. He didn't know how irritating it was about to get.

Professor Paulsen welcomed his last class of the day into his classroom. The seventh years were chatting animatedly. Harry smiled at them warmly, just to have his smile falter when he saw his parents and Snape. His parents were talking happily with their respective group of friends, and even Snape was discussing something in a book with some girl he knew as the Head Auror in his time. Winter something.

Without much wandering around, the students chose seats. The Marauders, as Harry had grown to call them, had chosen seats at the very back of the room, but Snape and three other people he seemed to be friendly with were at the very front. His mother, being the studious girl she had been, _she was now_, sat in the second row. The other people were a mishmash of painful memories and unknown faces. Harry dreaded taking roll call, as his brain would surely think of the sad future of those he knew.

Taking roll was a must, and Harry reluctantly started calling out names.

"Black, Sirius." _He's not dead yet….._

"Black, Narcissa." _She saved my life…_

"Dolohov, Antonin." _He killed Remus….._

"Dunkin, Raina" _Isn't she-wasn't she in the Order?_

"Everhardt, Shayler."_ Well, at least I don't know her….._

The name game went on for a while. Harry stiffened slightly when he called the names of those who were involved with the war. Those people had either been killed or had killed…

Nevertheless, Harry finished attendance and quickly moved on to the lesson.

"Now, since I know the Dark Lord is out there, we will be focusing mainly on dueling, but also on some defensive charms that you will need to know in order to stand a chance against him and his followers. I will also go over some dark magic with you, because it is essential to know what you are going up against."

Harry didn't want to scare his students by using the name Voldemort, nor did he want to appear inexperienced by using He Who Shall Not Be Named or You-Know-Who, so he settled for the Dark Lord, figuring it seemed mysterious.

Apparently, it seemed suspicious. All the students in the room were either glaring at him suspiciously or smirking like the name amused them. Harry had forgotten that the name was used solely among Death Eaters. Shit. He was stupid. He decided he would continue his class and act like nothing had happened.

"Well, I think we'll start by reviewing and listing some dueling strategies and techniques. We—Yes, Mr. Snape?

So Snape was already being a git. Small wonder.

"Well, first of all, you mentioned my name only once, so I see no reason for you to know it so well. Secondly, I assume that you know that the term 'Dark Lord' is used only by Death Eaters. So why would you use it if you do not serve He Who Shall Not be Named?"

"Mr. Snape, perhaps I have a very good memory. As for your second question, I deem it inappropriate and refuse to answer it. I suggest that you do not press matters further."

Severus scowled and leaned back into his seat.

"Well, as I said before, we'll get started by—_what is it, Siri-you over there?"_

"Nothing, sir, I just wanted to tell you that I have a dueling technique I would like to share with the rest of the class." Sirius smiled at Harry, and waited for his response.

"Well, I would be delighted if you could start off our discussion, Mr.—"

"Black, sir."

"Mr. Black."

"I think that kissing your opponent full on the lips before you duel them will disorient them and give you a greater chance of winning, sir. Would you like me to ask Lily to demonstrate with James?"

"No, that will not be needed, Mr. Black. Twenty points from Gryffindor for inappropriate comments."

"But—"

"No buts, Black. Now sit down."

Sirius, who had come to stand in the aisle reluctantly walked toward his seat and sat down.

Harry was weary of this class already. All the other classes hadn't been like this. The others had begun without question and ended with a bunch of excided kids. This one was just going nowhere. He sat down on his desk and began to speak.

"So, coming back to my earlier question. Who can name some strategies and techniques one can use in a duel?"

A handful of hands went up, a discouraging amount compared to Harry's previous classes.

"Yes, you there next to Mr. Snape. What is your name?"

"Thornton," the girl replied. "Winter Thornton"

"Well, Miss Thornton, can you give me an answer?" Harry glared at the girl expectantly. After all, she was the best dueler in his time period.

"You can conjure animals to distract your opponent, as opposed to kissing them."

"Good. Twenty points to Slytherin for starting us off appropriately."

"Now, who can give me another answer?"

The rest of the class went along slightly more smoothly that the first part, but was still broken up by whispers and suspicious glares.

At the end of the class period, the Gryffindors and Slytherins had learned less than the other classes had on the first day. Trying not to feel discouraged, Harry reassured himself that he would make it up next time, and assigned homework.

"Since we did not get to finish our discussion today, you will write a list of strategies and techniques to be used in a duel. To be handed in Friday. Class dismissed."

Harry heard a chorus of grumbles and moans as his students filed out of the classroom.

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**So, what did you think?**

**Should I do a part in James's point of view?**

**Do you have any ideas as to how Harry would be caught as a death eater?**

**Will Voldemort try to contact Harry?**

**Have you got any ideas that you would like me to use?**

**Do you think that Lily should crush on Harry and cause James to be jealous?**

**Should I add in Hermione or Ron?**

**Did you like this chapter?**

**Oh, and if you like parodies, make sure to check out my other fanfiction, How Harry Ruined Everything! **

**Thanks for reading! **


	6. Suspicion

**Chapter Five-Suspicion **

**Thanks to all that have reviewed and dropped their opinions and ideas! **

**Thanks to all those who favorite and followed, I am glad that you like this fanfiction. **

**Enjoy!**

_James Potter's point of view (or at least a scene with James in it.)_

"Uhhhhh..." Sirius moaned, "Paulsen did not have to give us so much homework…..it was unnecessary! I'm Sirius!"

"Shut up, Padfoot. We _know_ you're Sirius. I'm seriously getting sick of the damn joke. And really, who's to blame that we have homework in defense?" Remus glared at Sirius.

James watched his friends bicker as they headed back to the common room.

"Did you notice? Paulsen called You-Know-Who the _Dark Lord._ Seems awfully suspicious."

Peter rolled his eyes and grinned at James. "Really? He's like, our age!"

"You know, James has got a point. He almost called me Sirius in class today. And everyone knows that I'm like Mr. Blood Traitor Supreme. Maybe he's out to get me!" Sirius said in mock fear. "Besides, many of the Slytherin seventh years are probably death eaters," he added.

"Peter, I haven't made up my mind yet. What do you think?" The werewolf directed his attention at Peter.

"Well, I think th—hey! It's _Snivellus_!" Peter's cheerful voice automatically became mocking as the short boy sneered at the tall figure of Severus Snape.

"Get out of my way, Pettigrew." Severus scowled, wand hand twitching.

"I don't think so, Snape," retorted Peter. In reality, Peter was trying his hardest to appear unfazed by the menacing teenager he was speaking to.

"Haven't you got any manners, Snivellus?" James smirked and grabbed his wand. "Perhaps we should try to magic some in you, since your mother was too drunk to do it herself?"

"My. Mother. Was. Not. A. DRUNKARD!" Severus roared. "Shut your bloody traps and let me pass!"

"Looks like she gave birth to a drunken son," Sirius sniggered.

Severus gave the handsome boy a death glare.

"Watch it, pretty."

"Oh, so you're _jealous_!" Sirius sang. "I'll help you. I think your nose needs readjusting. I think it would look better just…a whole lot smaller than that hideous contraption that's on your face right now. _Sectumsempra!_"

Sirius put his wand back in his pocket, satisfied with the damage he had done.

Severus slapped one hand to the side of his face and shoved another hand into his pocket, furiously pulling out his wand and muttering a healing spell. He didn't stop to see if his spell had been successful. He turned and directed his wand at Sirius' face and sneered.

"You think you're so—" Severus never got to complete his sentence.

James flicked his wand.

There was a slight bang as Severus was dangled upside down in the air, wand on the ground below him.

"Well, we'll see who's so smart now, _Snivellus._" James grinned at the upside down figure.

Severus let out a string of swear words and something that sounded like "cowardly werewolf…."

"You think I'm scared of cursing you, Snape?" Lupin glared at Severus. "Because I'm not. _ Furnuculus!_"

As Severus squealed with laughter, the Marauders took turns cursing him. Boils. Jelly legs. Sectumsempra again. For the group of boys, cursing their arch-enemy was very satisfying work.

_Harry's point of view_

Harry felt sick. He had truly believed that his father and his friends had changed.

Based on what he had just seen, they hadn't. Remus and countless others had told him that his father had changed, Sirius had changed, Remus had changed….but yet, here it was, living proof that they had, in fact, were still brutally cursing their enemies. Four on one. It simply was _bullying_, something that shouldn't be allowed.

Harry fought the urge to throw up, and thought of any possible ways to stop this. But why would his father listen to an eighteen year old _kid_…..who was his teacher?!

Harry had to do something, even if it meant that his father would hate him. He couldn't let this go on. He strode from the tapestry he was hiding behind and fixed a 'teacher look' on his face.

"Potter, Black, Lupin, Pettigrew, and what in Merlin's Pants are you doing?"

"Nothing, Professor." James quickly muttered the counter curse to the Levicorpus spell, and Severus fell into a heap in the floor. "We'll just leave now." The Marauders quickly started walking away.

"Not so fast boys, or should I say gentlemen? Explain yourselves."

"Snape was provoking us, sir." Sirius gave Harry his 'innocent look'.

"I don't think so, Black. I believe that you raised your wand on Mr. Snape before he harmed any of _you_."

"Well, then he provoked us previously."

"I know what you did to him in your fifth year, so you have no excuse. Forty points from Gryffindor."

"How would you know? You just came this year."

"I have my sources," Harry snapped.

"Yeah, and that source is the 'Dark Lord'," Sirius muttered.

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing, sir, I was just talking to myself, I swear."

"You will not speak about your superiors that way, understand?"

"Yes." Sirius scowled and muttered something like, "Yeah, go help your death eater friend."

"Detention, Mr. Black, Saturday from nine in the morning until noon. Do not be late."

"But—"

"No buts, Black. If you complain any further, it shall be fifty points from Gryffindor."

"Fine." Sirius spun on his heel and stalked towards his friends at the end of the corridor.

Harry turned his attention on Snape, who was currently sitting on the floor and healing the numerous gashes on his arms and legs.

"Are you alright? You should let Madam Pomfrey take a look at you."

"I'm fine. I've always been." Severus refused to look Harry in the eye.

"Really, Mr. Snape. Those gashes look serious."

"I _said _I'm fine. Really, sir." Snape got up after healing his last wound, and walked off.

Part of Harry wanted to drag his least favorite professor off to the Hospital Wing, but the rest of him knew that Severus was alright on his own.

**Any suggestions? Comments? Flames?**

**Who feels bad for Snape? Anyone?**

**Anyone think that the Marauders are out of character?**

**What pranks should the Marauders play on Harry?**

**Do you think that James and Lily should get together early on in this fanfiction, or later on?**

**Did you enjoy the bit about James? Would you like me to alternate the point of view between James and Harry? Vote now on my Profile page! **

**Based on my writing, how old do you think I am? (I know I sound like a git, so you can flame me if you like. I got this idea from my cousin, whose pen name is ****myimmortalgirl****. So perhaps you should blame her.) If anyone's interested, I'll PM them the answer, but only if they guess. (I guess I **_**do**_** sound like a complete git right now.)**

**I hope you liked this chapter! Feel free to give me some ideas to use on this fanfiction, or flame me for being a git. Thanks for all your Favorites, Follows, and Reviews! **


	7. Thoughts

**Right. And I'm back, so, without further ado (I think that you've waited long enough) the next (and highly anticipated) chapter of **_**The Dark Question**_**.**

**In case you have forgotten, Harry Potter is not mine. Got that? **

**Great, now don't sue me; I haven't got any money. Unless a dollar counts as a decent amount of cash.**

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Harry was just well…emotionally scarred. He really didn't expect this _savagery_, and frankly, there was no other description for the sort of behavior he had witnessed earlier. Even in the safety and comfort of his own office, the dark images of Severus'…torture were flashing themselves in his head, forcing him to relive this reminder that his father, godfather, and favorite professor were not who Harry had thought they had been. Well, obviously the memory had told him more than he needed to know, but witnessing this turn of events in _person_ just shook him up slightly more than just glancing at it in a Pensive. Harry closed his eyes. Could he ever even look his own father in the eyes again?

No, thinking about this was just…..too much. Harry could never win this freaking battle, and he knew it. He would never come to a conclusion about whose side to support, whose side was right; whose side was wrong. There would be no winner in this mental war; both sides were too strong to triumph over the other. This fight would never be over. It would never truly end.

Screaming silently in indecision and anguish, Harry made his way to the library. It would do him good to go over the material he would be teaching. It would do him even better to not stress out about this simple problem.

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**Okay, flame me now. I know this chapter is beyond short, but I have run out of ideas and I really needed to get something out to you readers. So I need ideas. And reviews, I need you guys to tell me something, a reminder that I'm actually writing to an audience and not a ghost town. I mean, what's worth writing if there's no one to read it? So, maybe you could drop an idea or two? Along with something to tell me that I've got readers? I'm serious on the idea part. I can't write if I don't have any material to write about. Any pranks? Loyalties? Romance? **

**Raise your hand if you'd like this fic to be Snarry! (You know, the usual. Harry falls in love with his dark, outstanding student!) If you are interested, well, I'm no good with sex scenes, so if the story ever becomes rated M, I'll need a beta who'll do some smutty scenes. **

**Thanks for listening to my relentless rambling! **


	8. From Bad to Even Worse

**Hi! I'm back! I know that you all probably marked me as dead, as I haven't updated since March, and it's been a month now….yeah. Well, I was on a cruise, and then had to go to Los Angeles for a wedding, and that was three weeks of my time. So I've only been not busy for about a week or so. And I still have New York State Testing to worry about…..I guess you get my rift. So, anyways, I've decided not to make this story Snarry, because frankly, I lost interest in the pairing. Nothing really interests me for long; I've got to say that. Sorry to all the people who showed a lot of enthusiasm for the prospect of a Snarry. Thanks for listening to me rant about my life. Your attention is greatly appreciated. **

**Yet Another Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, blah, blah, blah.**

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Harry walked into the library, his head reeling. He grabbed a book on dark curses that he would be teaching his Seventh Year NEWT class about and fell into a chair and started to read. At least there would be no distractions here….

James Potter walked down the corridor and into the library. He started to reach for a Transfiguration book, but something made him freeze. It was Paulsen's book…..a book about dark curses… Suddenly, James felt a lump in his stomach. Paulsen—the Death Eater bloke….Paulsen would curse him and his friends for attacking Snape, his fellow Death Eater… James _had_ to warn his friends. He would never forgive himself if he neglected to do so and caused his friends to be ambushed.

Harry 'Paulsen' looked up from his book and saw James Potter staring at him.

"Mr. Potter, can I help you?" Harry looked at James and smiled.

_Merlin, he's __smiling_ _at me! He's already visualizing my demise!_ James thought wildly.

"N-no." James replied, and mentally smacked himself. _Why am I stuttering? This only shows that I am afraid of him! _

"Alright, then. Have a good day." Harry sighed and returned to his book.

James was too tongue-tied to answer, and instead turned and hurried out of the library without his Transfiguration book. He flew down the corridors; his feet instinctively making those turns and swerves that had become so familiar over the past six years.

James Potter almost literally fell into the Gryffindor Common Room; his knees were shaking and he was almost literally out of breath.

"M-Moony. W-Wormtail. P-P-Padfoot. He's out to get us; he's out to get us all!"

"Wait a moment," Sirius said. "Who's out to get us?"

"Yes, who?" Echoed Remus and Peter.

"Paulsen, he's got a book on dark curses—Merlin, I'll bet all my money that he's going to curse us because we attacked Snape—his fellow Death Eater!" James looked wildly at his friends, begging them to believe him.

"We're all going to die!" squeaked Peter.

"Calm down, Wormtail, there's no proof he's actually going to use those curses on us. He might be using them on one of his Death Eater 'assignments' or whatnot." Remus interrupted Peter before the boy could get too carried off.

"I thought you didn't believe that Paulsen was a Death Eater," accused Sirius.

"Well….." stuttered Remus.

"Whatever. The thing is that we all know to be wary of Paulsen, right?" James looked pleadingly at his fellow Marauders.

"M-hm." The others nodded.

"Well, then I guess I have to go back to the library. I left a Transfiguration book there."

"Wait! I'll go with you!" Sirius jumped to his feet.

"That's okay. There'll be teachers in the corridors. I'll be fine." James got up and ambled out of the portrait hole.

Harry Potter, or rather, Paulsen, was confused. Why was James behaving so strangely around him? James couldn't really believe that couldn't really believe that he was a Death Eater, could he? There was no way. What father would think of his own son as a Death Eater...there was a snag, though. With a twisting in his stomach, he realised that _James didn't know that he, Harry was his son! _Stupid, stupid. How could he ever forget that? Imagine he let something slip…the damage would have been irreparable.

Still mentally berating himself, Harry stepped out into the corridor and promptly ran into James.

"It is almost dinner time. Why aren't you heading down to the Great Hall?" Harry raised an eyebrow and looked at James. He didn't really want to talk with James at the moment.

"Well, I have to get a book from the library. I left it there, you see." James never broke eye contact with Harry, and felt very good about it.

"Go get it." Harry sounded rougher than he intended, but really was shaken by the fact that James thought of him as the enemy. A Death Eater.

James walked quickly into the library and disappeared from Harry's sight.

Harry suddenly felt angry at himself for speaking so rudely toward his father, who by the way probably hated him. Having nothing else to say or do, he walked furiously and very quickly toward his chambers, and then realized that it would be best if he didn't miss dinner in the Great Hall so early on in the year. Sighing, Harry reluctantly turned his feet toward the Great Hall and hoped that the doors had not magically closed on him again.

The doors were open, giving Harry a humongous sense of relief as he arrived at the brightly lit room. The Hall was slowly filling, and students were constantly walking through the doors, chatting with their friends and laughing at jokes. The sight gave Harry a slight pang of nostalgia, and he suddenly wished it was him who was walking into the Hall, laughing with Ron and Hermione. He was further saddened as he saw Remus, Peter, Sirius, and James walk, whispering, through the doorway.

Maybe his choice to be the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was not so great a choice after all.

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**I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. What do you think should happen next? How do you think that the Marauders should tell Dumbledore about their suspicions? Do you have any ideas for some things that Harry could do that are 'Death Eater like' but could be also interpreted as no so dark? (Ex: helping Snape) **

**I could use your ideas. If you have any other ideas for the future of this story, don't hesitate to voice them! Most of all, sorry for the delay and don't forget to review! (Or flame me for not doing Snarry and not updating for a month.) Thanks for reading! (I should really write a separate story just for my author's notes, or novellas as they now should be called. They're getting increasingly long!) **


	9. SUPRISE! (But Not in a Good Way)

**Hi! I'm sorry, and I'm back. There is no excuse for me being lazy and not updating. None at all. Again, SORRY! **

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Soo…..before the regularly scheduled chapter, here are some (more) author's notes! (I know. MORE?!)

**I do not own Harry Potter. (Disclaim, disclaim, disclaim.)**

**Thanks to Reyna Potter, who, being the awesome reader she is, gave me an idea that I will be using in this chapter. I do not own the idea and would like to disclaim it before Reyna sues me. **

**(To avoid a spoiler, you can see what Reyna's great idea was in the ****reviews**** section.)**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! ( To all of those who reviewed, I owe you one.)**

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**Chapter 8: SURPRISE! (but not in a good way)**

Previously on Avatar….I mean the Dark Question…..

_Maybe his choice to be the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was not so great of a choice after all._

And on With the Show…

Harry was right. Why in Merlin's fucking super saggy underpants had he asked for the stupid job? He knew that it was stupid, it was capricious, and it was brainless to just be like, "Hey, I'll take the job." He should have known to spill everything to Dumbledore, to just admit that he was a time traveler here to catch a tiny glimpse of his dead parents. But now…..he wasn't even sure if he was trusted. Once the Marauders decided that Professor Paulsen was really 'dangerous', they would speak to Dumbledore…and…..and what?

Angrily, he stomped towards his office, still steaming. He wasn't angry at James or Sirius. He wasn't angry at Snape. He wasn't angry at the _fucking _dream, which brought him here in the first place. Harry was angry at himself for blowing it all, for killing the chance to be with his parents, for losing the possibility of having a good time in a world he had always wanted to be in. Suddenly, he remembered that it was Saturday. Sirius had his detention in what-? _Fifteen minutes_?! Cursing wildly under his breath, he quickened his step, just to find a bloody heap of robes and a message that looked like it was scrawled in blood next to his office.

Harry flinched and then knelt down.

"Hey," he whispered, not sure why he was speaking so softly. "Are you ok?"

The heap of bloodied robes let out a long, low, moan.

"I'm going to bring you to the Hospital Wing, but first, can you tell me who did this?"

The heap of robes winced, and then a face appeared. It was Carmen Lancaster, a talented but shy Gryffindor muggleborn.

"I-I can't. They said that if I told….." Carmen was shaking, and in obvious pain.

"You can tell me. I'm here to help."

"No….no."

"But we'll catch these people….they won't be able to hurt you further….." Harry was pleading now. He had to put a stop to this before it became uncontrollable.

"Professor, please." Carmen said in a whisper. "Please."

"Alright. I'm going to bring you to the—"

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Sirius stood above the pair. "What do you do to him, Paulsen? What? I'm telling Dumbledore…..EVERYTHING!"

"Please, Mr. Black, I haven't done anything…...he was like this when I found him, everything was like this when I found him." Harry looked at Sirius. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to bring this boy to the Infirmary."

"Running from the evidence? Now that you've been found out? Well, sir, I'm sick of hiding from you, from all of you. I have to do something; I always have had, and why not start now? 'O hail the Dark Lord'? Is that your motto? Well, you won't be alive enough to have a motto _when I'm through with you._"

"I'm sorry, Sirius." Harry sighed and knew that he was in deep trouble. "Stupefy."

Sirius fell to the ground, paralyzed, and Harry turned and ran towards the Hospital Wing, Carmen's blood seeping into his clothing.

"Professor! What happened?" Poppy Pomfrey bustled across the room and grabbed Carmen, placing him on a bed.

"I don't know…..I found him outside my office….looks like Dark Magic, but yet….I have never seen anything like it." Even through the robes, he had known something was amiss just by looking at the boy. But now, when Carmen was naked and he was able to take in the full severity of the boy's wounds. Harry could confirm his suspicions. The young Gryffindor's blood was purple, the color of poison.

"I..I..he's losing a lot of blood, if that _ is _blood." Madam Pomfrey looked warily down at Carmen. "You can go now, Professor. I'm sure you have lots to do."

"Erm….alright. I'll be back." Harry turned and walked through the door, not sure what else to say.

Harry was now beyond furious. But he wasn't even sure now who he really, truly, was angry with. He was definitely aboved pissed with whomever hurt Carmen…..but that was all he could make sense of in the mess that was currently his mind. Reaching his office, he revived Sirius.

"Look, Sirius, I'm really sorry. Please, you've got to believe me…."

"You sure are a great actor, Professor."

"I..Sirius….I know what you feel about me..but…can you give me a chance? Please? One more? Just this one last time so I can speak with Professor Dumbledore? And, by the way, your detention is canceled for today regardless of whatever you say, because I've got to see Professor—"

"Yeah, whatever, _Sir_." Sirius turned on his heel and stalked away, leaving Harry with an empty corridor and a message in blood red that said, "O Hail the Dark Lord".

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**Thanks for reading! Again, the main plot of this chapter was based off of Reyna Potter's idea. (Thanks!) **

**To all of you who have submitted ideas, thank you, too! They are appreciated and are being held on to for possible future use. You see, I really do need ideas. (In fact, feel free to submit more!)**

**Sorry again for the long wait, and I hope I'll update soon….but just as a heads up, I'm leaving the country soon and won't be back for more than a month, so….don't get too angry. I'll try to update one last time before then, though.**

**Annndddd…..please review and tell me what you thought about the chapter! I really value your opinions, good or bad! **

**THANKS! (I really need to work on that fanfiction for author's notes/novels **** )**


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